Released
by Swani
Summary: Azula is released from the psychiatric hospital after three years and only one person is there to greet her.


Please take it easy on me; this is my first Tyzula attempt. Wish me luck.

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"Well, I can't help but congratulate you Princess." Doctor Xiao said smiling brightly. "I've never seen a recovery of this caliber. Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai send their regards. As do Avatar Aang and Master Katara."

Azula's golden eyes flickered to the file in Doctor Xiao's hands. She scowled internally. Yes, she acknowledged that she had made significant process and she felt better than she ever had. The smoke screen in her head had cleared. However, she still harbored unfavorable feelings for her Zuzu and his friends.

She had rotted in that cell for three years and could count the number of visits on one hand. She mentally scolded herself. Why would she concern herself with that? Why should she care that the traitor and his group come to see them? Even in her clear mental state she couldn't bring herself to accept Zuko, however she had learned to tolerate him. Yet, she doubted there would ever be any love between them.

Love. She never knew love. Not a father's love, a mother's love, or a siblings love. She had admitted to herself a long time ago that she only wanted the love of one person. _And that's never going to happen._

"Princess Azula? Are you alright?" Doctor Xiao said with a concerned look.

Azula glanced up and nodded. "My apologies, Doctor. It's just hard to believe that I'm being released. I figured I'd be in that cell for the rest of my life."

"Princess, it wasn't necessarily a cell. You were contained for your own safety and that of the staff." He said softly. "It was the only way we could convince Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko to let you could keep your firebending."

"That is the one thing I appreciate most of all." Azula said faintly.

Doctor Xiao smiled warmly. "Someone brought it to our attention that it would be counter intuitive to take it away. They explained that you were already in a fragile state and it was the only thing you had to hold on to."

Azula furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

"After you lashed out at Nurse Liu, The Avatar and Fire Lord wanted to take your firebending away." He said handing the medical scroll over to Azula. "Someone convinced them otherwise."

"Are you able to tell me who?"

"Yes, it was the Kyoshi Warrior Ty Lee."

Azula's eyes widened and her heart clutched in her chest. _What? Ty Lee? Ty Lee had fought for her firebending? _Azula's thoughts raced. _Ty Lee…_

"She actually came to see you twice. You weren't lucid. The first time you wouldn't speak to her and the second time you lashed out vocally. Princess, may I ask you a question?"

A ghost of a grin flashed across her face. "You just did."

Doctor Xiao chuckled. These were the improvements he was most proud of her for. Her human interaction had turned for manipulative fear to a stoic toleration. He knew that was the best they could do for her. The rest of her recovery was better left to someone else.

"It's a question of a personal nature and you don't have to answer." He said. He knew this was the final test. Touch a highly sensitive issue and gauge her reaction. "Were you in love with Ty Lee?"

Azula's eyes darkened. She tried to veil the heartbreak, but she knew she couldn't. "As much as I could at the time. I think that's why I was the cruelest to her. When she feared me, she was so obedient. She did whatever I asked of her. I figured that was the way I could always keep her by my side." Azula admitted.

She hated making herself vulnerable like this, but she needed to work on her honesty. Not for Doctor Xiao's sake, but for her own. She liked sanity and really wanted to keep it.

Doctor Xiao smiled brightly. "If you'll forgive me for speaking like this to you, Princess, but I'm proud of you. I knew your mother quite well. Your ability to come to terms and even forgive her was astounding and now you've been able to make yourself vulnerable to someone directly. I truly believe that this is the appropriate time for your release."

A small but genuine smile graced the Princess's face. "Thank you, but what happens to me now?"

"You are being released to an escort who will supervise you for an unspecified amount of time."

"A babysitter?" Azula frowned, her golden eyes flickering with annoyance.

"More like a glorified babysitter." Doctor Xiao said with a grin. "Orders of the Fire Lord, he doesn't want you left alone. Fire Lady Mai assured me you wouldn't hate it too much. Plus, they volunteered."

Azula frowned. "How reassuring."

Doctor Xiao stood and motioned to the door. "I'm glad to say that this chapter of your life is ending and you're beginning a new one." He moved around his desk and bowed to Azula. "Please, don't take this the wrong way Princess Azula, but I hope we never have to see you again."

The Princess smiled softly. "I hope so as well, Doctor."

He moved around her and slid open the office door as she stood. He motioned for her to exit and the two made their way to the front door of the facility.

Azula took the bag of what possessions she had and nodded at the attendant. He bowed respectively and pushed open the main door for her. Azula took and deep breath and did something she hadn't done for three years: she stepped into the sunlight as a free woman.

She squinted as the walked down the walkway to the street where she had been informed there was a rickshaw waiting for her. She hadn't been exposed to direct sunlight in such a long time her eyes strained to see in front of her. She could hardly make out the figure she was moving towards, but her heart stopped when the figure spoke.

"Azula."

The Princess froze and dropped her bag in shock. She opened her eyes wide and took in the sight before her. "Ty…Ty Lee." She said in a hushed tone, as if trying to convince herself that this was reality. She studied the woman in front of her.

The past three years had changed Ty Lee. She was taller and certainly more developed than Azula had remembers. Her eyes briefly made their way down Ty Lee's curves and moved to her face. She noticed that Ty Lee had cut her hair to just past her shoulders and it wasn't in the braid she remembered. It was tied into a wolftail and it was draped around her right shoulder. Nonetheless Azula still knew it was _her _Ty Lee. _No…she's not mine. She never was._

"Azula," She spoke again. "You look well. The past three years have changed you."

"I imagine so. The years have changed you as well."

Ty Lee flashed a small smile. "We've grown up."

"I-I'm better, Ty Lee." Azula admitted softly. "I really am."

Ty Lee stepped forward and placed a hand on Azula's shoulder. "I know."

"I'm glad it's you here."

Ty Lee nodded. "However, you need to realize that it's not going to be how it was between us." Ty Lee said seriously. "I'm not your puppet anymore and I am still furious with you for all you did."

Azula bit her lip. Ty Lee's eyebrows shot up; she had never seen anything like this from Azula.

"You should be angry with me. I…I became the monster everyone saw me to be, I lost myself and I did terrible things. Yet, my mental instability is no excuse. Long before then I used fear to control everyone: you, Mai, and even Zuko. Ty Lee, I…I'm sorry." Azula locked eyes with the woman in front of her. "I really am, but I'm relieved you hate me. It's nothing less than I deserve at this point."

Ty Lee pulled her hand back and shook her head. "I never said I hated you, Azula. I said I was furious. I volunteered to look after you because I know you can change. You standing in front of me like this is proof enough. I never gave up on you, Azula. I'm resentful for things, but I don't hate you."

Azula closed her eyes and sighed. "Thank you, Ty Lee." She opened her eyes slowly. "There are things I need to admit to you."

Ty Lee cocked her eyebrow.

"I was the cruelest to you. Anyone could see that and now I know why. I wanted to keep you next to me." Azula said quietly. "I see know that I was in love with you. Well, as much as I could be."

Ty Lee looked at Azula with wide eyes. Azula took a deep breath and golden eyes locked on grey. Azula's eyebrow rose when a large smile broke out on Ty Lee's face. It was a smile that Azula had only imagined for the last three years.

Ty Lee stepped forward and placed her hands on either side of Azula's face, and Ty Lee pulled her in. Azula's breath hitched when Ty Lee's lips met hers. She froze, but Ty Lee didn't pull away, she just continued to kiss Azula. After a few long moments her resolve broke. She gripped Ty Lee's hips and pulled her flush against her. She kissed Ty Lee deeply. Azula felt the other woman smile as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Azula's arms circled Ty Lee's waist and she held her tightly.

When they parted both were panting and flushed. Ty Lee buried her face in Azula's neck and sighed. "I've been dreaming of that for so long." She said softly. The Princess smiled and rested her head against Ty Lee's.

When Ty Lee finally pulled away she met Azula's eyes. "In addition to helping you acclimate to society, you and have issues we need to work on." Ty Lee crossed her arms. "I'm not going to tolerate being intimidated or abused. I'm feared you, Azula. I loved you and feared you all at the same time."

"You…you loved me?"

"I still do. Why do you think I'm here?" Ty Lee said matter-of-factly. "I fought for you to keep your bending because I knew it would shatter what was left of you. I wanted to salvage the Azula that I loved. The nurse wasn't hurt so there were really no grounds to take it away. They were treating it like a preventative measure and I knew it wasn't in your best interest. I fought for you for years, Azula. I wanted to save you."

"Doctor Xiao told me you came to visit." Azula said, shifting ever so slightly.

"Twice…officially." Ty Lee said with a wide smile. "I would sneak when I was in the Fire Nation to check up on you."

Azula shook her head. "You've always been the mischievous type."

"It's part of my charm." Ty Lee waved her hand. "Anyway, I'm not going to put up with all your old shit. You have one chance to make things right with me, Azula."

Azula was taken aback. She had never seen Ty Lee so sternly. In the old days she would never have dared to speak to her like this, but Azula knew exactly what she was doing. She was trying to get Azula to concede, this was her one chance that Ty Lee was referring to. She was trying to get Azula to give up her power complex. She was forcing Azula to choose.

The Princess stepped forward and took Ty Lee's hands in her own. She finally had a chance to achieve what she had only ever dreamed. She met Ty Lee's eyes. "I'm willing to do what it takes."

Ty Lee smiled brightly and threw her arms around the taller woman. Azula rolled her eyes when she heard Ty Lee's soft crying. She simply took Ty Lee into her arms and stroked the back of her head. "I've missed you so much. Not just since you've been away, but the Azula I loved." She pulled back and kissed her sweetly. "You've always been an entitled brat, but Zuko has too."

"We're royalty. It comes with the territory."

Ty Lee flashed a sly grin. "You'll always be my Princess first, then the Fire Nation can have you."

Azula clicked her tongue in a scolding fashion. "You've spent too much time in the Earth Kingdom, our people always come first."

Ty Lee chuckled. "It's them or me."

"You." Azula whispered pulling Ty Lee into another kiss.

They parted and Azula raised an eyebrow at Ty Lee. "So, where are we going?"

Ty Lee pulled out of Azula's arms and motioned to the rickshaw. "We're taking this to the harbor and then boarding a boat to the Earth Kingdom. I've talked Suki into letting you stay with me on Kyoshi Island."

A look of annoyance danced across Azula's face. "Kyoshi Island? Why can't we stay in the Fire Nation?"

"Zuko wants you away from the mainland and I have responsibilities to them. I'm Suki's second in command now. We have a new batch of recruits and I had to take time away from training to come get you."

"How did you manage to convince them to do this?"

"Believe me, Suki is not happy about it. They still don't trust you, Azula. Suki has demanded that you have to pull your weight on the island, so I told her that you could teach the girls how to defend themselves from firebending. Remember when we clobbered them when they had Appa?"

"Appa?"

"The Avatar's sky bison."

Azula nodded. "You want me to teach them how to fight firebending?"

"Yes, it proves that your useful and it makes Suki feel better knowing that if you go crazy again they have a way to fight back."

"Do you think I'm going to?" Azula asked suspiciously. Ty Lee shook her head.

"Not while I'm around. I can tell your much better. I've never seen your aura this at peace. It almost pink." Ty Lee said with a childlike squeal. This earned her an eye roll from Azula.

"I'll take your word for it. Besides, if I do become a threat they know you can just chi block me, right? As ashamed as I am to admit it, you took me down with two blows."

"It makes Suki feel better." Ty Lee pulled Azula to her and ran her hands down the Princess's body seductively. "Besides, I have a few ideas on how I can keep you calm." She whispered into Azula's ear.

The Princess shivered and remembered the one night she had taken Ty Lee for her own. It had been a swift decision and one that they had not spoken of since. "Ty Lee, about that night. Did I take you against your will?" She asked in a hushed tone.

Ty Lee kissed Azula's ear. "Not at all. It started quickly, but you should remember how much I enjoyed it." Ty Lee wasn't lying at all. Azula had swept her away quickly, but Ty Lee had never wanted that night to end. "Imagine all the things we can do now. We can take time to explore and learn about the other." Ty Lee traced her lips across Azula's cheek before capturing her lips.

"Ty Lee, I…I want a life with you." Azula whispered.

"I want that too. That's why I'm here. I love you, Azula. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ty Lee." Azula said quietly, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I want this."

Ty Lee pulled away from Azula and smiled. "Why Princess, I've never seen this before."

Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Your aura is completely pink."

The Princess sighed and rolled her eyes. Ty Lee giggled and picked up Azula's bag. She held out her hand.

"Are you ready for a new and happy life?"

The Fire Princess looked at Ty Lee's hand and the last several years of her life flashed in her mind. She was finally free of the pain and insanity. Her eyes traveled to the smiling face of the woman in front of her. A smile of her own appeared and she took Ty Lee's hand.

"I am."

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Ok! I hope this wasn't too bad. Keep in mind this was my first Tyzula anything so I'm not sure if I framed it well.

Toss me a review and tell me what you think. I'd appreciate it for future Tyzula things I have notes for to write.


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